The present invention relates to a suspension device of a vehicle.
A suspension device of a vehicle, particularly a suspension device for a rear wheel, is comprised of a so-called multi-link type of suspension which supports a knuckle at a vehicle body via five arms (links) so that the knuckle can swing vertically, for example. Specifically, a suspension device having the following five arms which is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. H7-186680 is known:
(1) a trailing arm extending rearward from a trailing-arm support point on a vehicle-body side and connected to a trailing-arm connection portion of the knuckle which is positioned below a wheel axis of the knuckle;
(2) a leading arm extending forward from a leading-arm support point on the vehicle-body side and connected to a leading-arm connection portion of the knuckle which is positioned above the wheel axis of the knuckle;
(3) an upper arm extending in a vehicle width direction from an upper-arm support point on the vehicle-body side and connected to an upper-arm connection portion of the knuckle which is positioned above the wheel axis of the knuckle;
(4) a lower arm extending in the vehicle width direction from a lower-arm support point on the vehicle-body side and connected to a lower-arm connection portion of the knuckle which is positioned below the wheel axis of the knuckle; and
(5) a control arm extending in the vehicle width direction from a control-arm support point on the vehicle-body side, arranged in back of the lower arm, and connected to a control-arm connection portion of the knuckle which is positioned below the wheel axis of the knuckle.
Herein, it is important to configure such that the wheel supported at the knuckle does not improperly move in a swing manner in a plan view at the time of braking or driving of the vehicle (i.e., to increase a so-called anti-swing rigidity of the wheel). In order to increase this anti-swing rigidity, it is preferable that the longitudinal distance between the lower-arm connection portion and the control-arm connection portion of the knuckle in the plan view be configured to be as long as possible.
In the suspension device disclosed in the above-described patent publication, the lower-arm connection portion of the knuckle is positioned substantially on a line of the wheel axis and in back of the trailing-arm connection portion of the knuckle in the plan view, so that the longitudinal distance between the lower-arm connection portion and the control-arm connection portion of the knuckle is considerable short.